Inside Ballmer’s Exit And Who Definitely Won’t Be Microsoft’s Next CEO

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Today Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced that he will retire in the next 12 months. His successor is not known, but the move marks the end of an era in technology, as Ballmer himself has become a controversial stalwart in the sector.

The stock market rewarded the company with a 7.29 percent bump in its share price following the news. However, Ballmer’s final years at the company have been marked with change. Windows 8, Windows Phone, Azure, and other new products have reformed Microsoft’s software lineup. Executive exits, a re-org, and a shift in business model have remade the company, at least in theory.

During his stretch as CEO, Ballmer has overseen a company that has weathered internal gridlock and market woes. That said, the last few years of Microsoft history have been turbulent. And perhaps turbulent in a way that is good for the firm.

My good friend and colleague Frederic Lardinois and I sat down to talk over the news. Have a view:

BioSteve Ballmer is a former director of Microsoft Corporation. He joined Microsoft in 1980 and was the company’s first business manager. Ballmer retired as Chief Executive Officer on Feb. 4, 2014. Before becoming CEO in 2000, his roles at Microsoft included senior vice president of sales and support, senior vice president of systems software and vice president of marketing. Under his leadership, Microsoft …